The chapbook is becoming a popular form with both poets and publishers, and is a great way for poets to get their work out before a first book. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll discuss what a chapbook is, look at several examples, and explore how to choose and order poems to create a strong body of work, as well as how to select the right chapbook publisher for your work.

In this workshop, we’ll explore why form is relevant for contemporary poets, and how we can take advantage of form to strengthen both traditional and free-verse poems. Poetic form isn’t just meter and rhyme--it encompasses a diverse range of vessels that poems can inhabit. Form can help focus our poems, and reinforce a tone beyond our written words. When we have writer’s block, form can give us direction on how to keep writing. Over the six weeks of this workshop, we’ll write in several forms, and explore what content works well with different types of forms.

Want to submit your work to magazines but don't know how? In this workshop, we'll talk about what literary magazines are, what editors are looking for in submissions, have a “translation” exercise, tips on how to get the most out of a lit mag, and the secrets to writing a great cover letter to get an editor’s attention. The skills you learn in this session can easily apply to other publication realms, including writing to agents and editors of small book presses. All participants will receive a complimentary magazine of their choice.

Want to submit your work to magazines but don't know how? In this workshop, we'll talk about what literary magazines are, what editors are looking for in submissions, have a “translation” exercise, tips on how to get the most out of a lit mag, and the secrets to writing a great cover letter to get an editor’s attention. The skills you learn in this session can easily apply to other publication realms, including writing to agents and editors of small book presses. All participants will receive a complimentary magazine of their choice.

As part of the Writers Reading series, Megan Eden Kuyatt and Vincent Kuyatt will discuss their partnership in developing the text adventure novel, Post High School Reality Quest, collaboration between a writer a game designer.

Have you started a writing project with excitement, but quickly lost interest and felt stuck? Sometimes changing the point of view in the story can reinvigorate a project, and give direction on how to move forward. In this workshop, we’ll explore stories that use unique perspectives, and take part in a writing exercise to get ideas on what perspectives could transform our own stories. Books will be available for sale and signing after the program. This FREE event is co-sponsored by Anne Arundel County Public Library and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators MD/DE/WV Region. Please register below to help us plan for refreshments.

Meg Eden’s work has been published in various magazines, including Rattle, Drunken Boat, Poet Lore, RHINO and Gargoyle. She teaches creative writing at the University of Maryland. She has five poetry chapbooks, and her novel Post-High School Reality Quest is published with California Coldblood, an imprint of Rare Bird Books. Find her online at www.megedenbooks.com or on Twitter at ConfusedNarwhal.

Join us for a live-action "demo" playthrough of the first chapter of Meg Eden's text-adventure novel Post-High School Reality Quest! Fans of Action Castle and text adventure games will enjoy this interactive experience.

Afterwards, author Meg Eden and developer Vince Kuyatt will discuss the process of writing a "text adventure novel" as well as translating that novel into an interactive text adventure game. Their conversation will discuss the intersection of writing craft and good game design, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of both the text adventure and novel mediums.

Participants:

Meg Eden teaches creative writing at the University of Maryland and Anne Arundel Community College. Her "text-adventure" novel "Post-High School Reality Quest" is published with California Coldblood, an imprint of Rare Bird Books. She writes about the intersection of storytelling craft between writing and game design (particularly environmental storytelling), and how nostalgia and retro aesthetics impact how we play games. Find her online at megedenbooks.com or on Twitter at @ConfusedNarwhal.

Vincent Kuyatt is a developer and tabletop designer in the DC area, entering the Masters of Game Design program at American University. His game Smallworld Online was created during the 2017 Ludum Dare, and his game Global Crisis was awarded Best Game Design during the 2015 Global Game Jam at MAGfest. He has spoken at conferences including (or forthcoming): RetroGame Con, Awesome Con, KameCon, and MAGlabs. His interests particularly include: 2D vs 3D game design, unreliable narration, form in video games, and using games to teach players real-life skills through engaging mechanics.

Check out this upcoming FREE webinar, sponsored by the MD/DE/WV Region of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. The webinar is open to all!
Saturday, March 3 at 3 PM Eastern: A Conversation with Young Adults Authors
Featuring young adult authors Kathy MacMillan, Linda Budzinski, Meg Eden, Pintip Dunn, and Christina June! This webinar is presented as part of the Read Local Challenge, which gives you the chance to win prizes by reading books by featured authors from Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Virginia!
Join us as these authors discuss their inspirations and challenges and answer your questions!
A recording of the webinar will be available after the event. Register here to receive access information for the live event or recording.

Workshop: Hooking Your Reader: Writing A Killer First Line Number of Sessions: 1 Saturday Start Date: 12/16/2017 End Date: 12/16/2017 Start Time: 10:30 AM End Time: 12:30 PM Location: Bethesda Level(s): All Levels Price: 50 Description: Most editors of both magazines and presses will say that they read the first, last, and middle page of a story before deciding if they want to read more. Potential readers are even less forgiving. So how do we snag our readers and make them want to read more? In this workshop, we’ll look at examples of powerful first lines and discuss strategies for selecting a powerful first line. Feel free to bring the first line of your story or novel for a mini first-line “workshop.”

The popular saying goes: “A picture’s worth a thousand words.” With the rapid developments in technology, our storytelling is changing to not just be on the page, but through movies, television, and video games--highly visual mediums. Through the power of images, we can convey a whole narrative in a short space. Games like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Gone Home use environmental storytelling to give us pieces of characters’ lives. In this workshop, we’ll discuss examples of games that tell stories through objects, and go into our own writing exercises inspired by video games.

Join local YA author Meg Eden as she discusses her debut novel, Post-High School Reality Quest, and hosts an interactive live-action game based on the book. Copies of Meg’s book will be available for purchase the night of the program.

On Saturday Jan 13th, Howard County Library System will be hosting a Howard County Author Festival. The event will run from 1- 4 pm. This will be a fun, casual afternoon where authors and readers can meet and mingle at the library.

The library will be offering door prizes and refreshments. Each author will have a table where they can sell books and meet with readers.

In 2018, HCLS will be challenging the county to read 100,000 books before the end of the year, and we thought this would be a great way to promote that new initiative while also highlighting the amazing literary talent in our community.

Join us for our Bookfair Kickoff event at Barnes & Noble Ellicott City on December 13 from 5-8 p.m.

Workshops and events for kids and families:
5-5:45 PM: Writing workshop for children and teens with Meg Eden, author (Post-High School Reality Quest)

5:45-6:30 PM: Illustration workshop for children and teens with Rebecca Evans, author/illustrator (Someday I'll Fly, Friends in Fur Coats, The Shopkeeper's Bear, The Good Things)
6:30-8 PM: Games with Authors: Play book bingo, pin the book on the shelf, crazy guessing games, and more with local authors:

Let's Catch Up!

Networking is such a vital part of getting your writing out into the world. Here I list recommended reading series, events where I'll be reading, and workshops I lead to help writers get their work out there!

Mailing List

Thank you!

Check out Meg's blog posts in The Dr. TJ Eckleburg Review for more events near you!